Switch-operating device



S E M L E T R A B B m A".v 0 M 0 m SWITCH OPERATING DEVIGE.

Patented May 2, 1893;.

INVENTOH ATTORNEYS.

rm: mums PETERS c0. PHOTO-THO WASHINGYON. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN BARTELMES, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,715, dated May 2, 1893.

Application filed November 29, 1892. Serial No. 463.457. (N0 model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN BARTELMES, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Switch-Operating Devices, of which the following is a full, clear, and eX- act description.

This invention relates to an improvement in a class of appliances on street railway cars, which are adapted to effect an adjustment of an open switch on the railway, so as to align its working tongue with the track on which the car is moving toward the switch.

It has for its object to provide a device of the kind mentioned, which is of a simple, novel construction, which can be set manually, and when so adjusted, correctly move the parts of an approached switch and align said parts with the track occupied by the moving car whereon the device is placed, said switch being of a kind provided with two parallel tables or platforms which are adapted to move the tongue of the frog that is a part of the switch, so as to change its position with regard to the intersecting railway tracks that the switch guards.

To this end, my invention consists in the construction, and combination of parts, as is hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure l is a sectional side view of a car in part, on the line l-l in Fig. 2, showing -the improvement thereon, and part of a switch engaged by the latter. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the platform switch shown in Fig. 1, taken on the line 2-2 in Fig. 1,also showing a cable railway track and a cable conduit in cross section, with the improvement on a car front in part and engaging one of the platforms or tables of the switch. Fig. 3 is a plan view detached, of an important detail of construction, that is part of the invention; and Fig. at is a plan view detached, of a portion of the switch mechanism, opposite the arrow in Fig. 2.

This improved switch operating device, is especially adapted for use on cars of cable railways, when said railways are used as part of a system comprising other intersecting lines of street railways whereon cars are drawn byhorses, which horse-drawn cars are switched onto and from the cable road, and frequently leave open switches from the cable road to a divergent side track.

In the drawings A, A, represent two parallel, spaced platforms of equal dimensions, which are located above a pit B, and are adapted to vibrate init a limited distance, by their common support. tain the platforms A, and allow them to alternately rock down and up in the pit B,consist of a base block a, two parallel upright posts I) on the block, and a transverse beam 0, pivoted at its center between the upper ends of the posts, which beam has its ends pivotally connected with the similar depending arms cl, the upper ends of which are secured to the lower sides of the tables near the centers of the latter.

The frog body e, is located on the tracks The parts that sus over the pit, and has its body'and pointed The swinging movement of the frog tongue g, is eifected by its pivotal connection at g, with a post It, that projects upwardly from the beam 0, as shown in Fig. 2, said point of connection being provided near the free end of the tongue, so that the alternate depression of the tables A, will vibrate the tongue as before mentioned. It will be seen that should the horse attached to an ordinary street car step on one of the platforms when guided to do so by the driver on said car, the tongue g, will be vibrated so as to align the cable track with a diverging side track, if the horse car is to pass from the cable road. Sucha movement of the frog tongue will leave the cable as indicated in Fig. 1.

The presser bar 0 is of such a length as will locate its front end near, but not beyond the front edge of the car platformD',there being two depending spaced and furcated bracket arms m, formed on or secured to the lower side of the presser bar at its front end, having their nearest transverse faces parallel, and each adapted to receive a journal box 12. A presser wheel E, is pivoted between the bracket arms am, said wheel being mounted upon and secured to a central shaft 0, that has a loose engagement with the boxes '12. The pair of furcated bracket arms 1%, are each closed at the lower terminals of their parallel limbs, after the boxes '11, are inserted between said limbs, so as to preventadisplacement of the boxes. Above each box a, a strong metal or gum spring 19, is introduced, and secured against lateral displacement by any suitable means, these springs permitting a proper reciprocation of the boxes between the bracket limbs which support them.

An adjusting screw shaft F, is furnished, to afford means for vibrating the presser bar G, and retaining it at any desired point. Said shaft is vertically and loosely supported on the front wall of the platform D, by the bracket boxes 0", which projectfro m the front wall or dasher D on its side next to the platform.

There is a coarse threaded screw 3, out on the shaft F, near its lower end, which screw engages a nut s, secured in a perforation in the car platform so as to permit the screw to be manipulated by a crank F, on the upper end of the-shaft, and give a progressive motion to the body ofsaid shaft, so thatits lower end may be projected from, or be drawn toward the lower surface of the platform.

Below the screw 5, the body of the shaft F, is reduced, and two bevel faced collars are located on said reduced portion, the lower collar being secured in place on the terminal end of the shaft after it has been inserted through a longitudinally elongated perforation in the presser bar 0, which will loosely connectthe bar with the shaft that is thus adapted by its rotation to vibrate the bar and retain it where adjusted.

In use, the gripman of a cable car, will be enabled to close an open switch in advance of said car, by adjusting the screw shaft F,so as to vibrate the presser bar 0, downwardly,

seems and cause the presser wheel E, to bear forcibly upon a platform A, that is in the path of the wheel, which will push the platform down and set the tongue 9, properly, so as to close the switch and render the cable road intact for the free and safe travel of the cable car.

It will be seen that the provision of spring supports for the wheel E, will allow it to rise when the car has moved the wheel beyond the platform, so that there will be no obstruction produced when the wheel strikes the solid road bed; thus giving sufficient time for the gripman to rotate the screw shaft in an opposite direction, andraise the presser bar sufficiently to remove the presser wheel from the road bed.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. In a switch adjuster, the combination, with a car, of a vibratable presser bar on the under side of the car platform, a rotatable presser wheel on the outer end of said bar, and an upright shaft on the platform threaded at the lower end and adapted to rotate and hold the presser bar by its loose engagement therewith, and with a nut on the car platform, substantially as described.

2. In a switch adjuster, the combination with a car, of a presser bar pivoted by one end on the under side of the car platform, an upright rota-table screw shaft on the car platform, a nut thereon engaged by the shaft, and a rotatable spring-pressed wheel on the forward end of the presser bar, substantially as described.

3. In a switch adjuster, the combination with a car, the platform thereon, and the dasher on the platform, of a presser bar pivoted by one end on the under side of the platform, and projecting forwardly, depending furcated bracket arms on the front of the presser bar, journal boxes therefor, springs above said boxes, a presser wheel fast on a shaft journaled inthe boxes, a nut fast on the platform, a loosely supported shaft upright on the dasher and engaging the nut, and loosely secured at its lower end in an elongated hole in the presser bar, substantially as described.

' BENJAMIN BARTELMES. 

